Tag Archives: Education

Busobozi Ian John Baptist, right, coaches a group of students in the UCU Writing Center.

UCU Writing Center coaches share how they help others

Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, Students, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Education, , , , ,


Busobozi Ian John Baptist, right, coaches a group of students in the UCU Writing Center.
Busobozi Ian John Baptist, right, coaches a group of students in the UCU Writing Center.

(With a team of 29 dedicated student coaches from various schools and faculties, Uganda Christian University’s writing center, located within the Mukono campus’  Hamu Mukasa Library, plays a key role in academic enrichment. Officially opened in October 2022 and currently under the leadership of Kajubi Martin, the acting manager, the center strives to help students amplify their writing skills, scholarly voice and academic success. Christine Mirembe, a student in the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, got some insights into the center through interviews with four coaches.)

Christy Asiimwe – School of Education
Christy Asiimwe, alongside Joshua Gira, is working to develop an English language program tailored specifically for international students.

Christy Asiimwe
Christy Asiimwe

“I am excited about the curriculum,” Christy, an English major in the UCU School of Education,  said. “I would love to do a masters in Education, Management and Curriculum Development using experience from the writing center as a base. I wish to have an online presence where I teach English.”

Having a background in the French language as part of her high school curriculum has accorded Christy an advantage when tutoring students from Francophone countries. While she encourages them to speak and write English, she greets them in French. 

“I am assigned students based on their needs and my competencies,” said Christy, who has been a tutor, working twice a week for 90 minutes each, since 2023. “As much as I would have loved to engage more with my students, my busy schedule does not allow more.”

She credits supportive colleagues, particularly Joshua, also an English major, for any success she has. 

“Working at the writing center has been very fruitful,” Christy said.  “I cherish the bonds I’ve built with students. Watching them grow and being part of their journey brings me immense joy and fulfillment as a teacher. Helping them fit into the society by engaging them with the English language is an opportunity the writing center has availed.”

Two improvements she suggested are more tutor trainings and stronger collaboration with the International Students Association.

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Milton Abel Opio – School of Business
“Writing should be a compulsory skill for every student; its power speaks a lot more if we go into details. Effective communication is crucial in all fields, business inclusive.”

These are the words of Milton Abel Opio, a writing center coach and student in the School of Business. He has a passion for writing and helping others share his passion. He is grateful that Martin Kajubi recruited him as a tutor in February 2023. 

“I tutor accounting in business administration because that is where my strength is channeled,” Milton said. “I find it more transparent; it is way more than just numbers, something that most people do not know. My sessions are usually two to four hours, depending on my students’ workload and their ability to grasp concepts.”

Milton Abel Opio
Milton Abel Opio

Helping others is a win-win as he has discovered improvements in his own work as he does more reading and research to have a better grasp of concepts and to share with those who he  tutors. His own writing about finance has multiplied. 

“Tutoring at the writing center has been amazing; you get to meet and interact with people from all walks of life,” Milton said. “I have hence used this space to learn, unlearn and re-learn from various people, making me better.”

He cited an example – “one of my most rewarding moments” –  of working with a student who had difficulties structuring essays and how together, they organized ideas, developed thesis statements and incorporated evidence.  

He acknowledged that time management has been difficult as he juggles his own work with time to help others with theirs. 

“I try to maintain a schedule that allocates time for my personal assignments and office duties,” Milton said. “Multitasking has become the standard practice. I would love to continue tutoring. The past year has been amazing and with unwavering support, I know there is still room for me to learn and create impact where passion lies. Learning never stops.”

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Busobozi Ian John Baptist  – Faculty of Engineering, Design and Technology
Before coming to the writing center in September 2023, Busobozi Ian John Baptist had a reputation for sharing knowledge with colleagues. He believes that teaching has rewards for both teacher and student. 

“You can teach someone; they get 90% and you get 80%,” he said. 

With average sessions running for two-to-three hours each, he guides groups of five to six students.  

“Engineering requires a lot of time and dedication,” Baptist said. “I recall conducting a study session that lasted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during which we thoroughly reviewed all the work from across all the course units in preparation for exams.”

Prior to all sessions, he gives students a heads-up on what will be discussed and when. This allows prior preparation, hence making the work more effective. Meeting and interacting with a diverse audience is an opportunity tutoring has provided.  

Baptist has been impacted by the “learning by teaching” principle, where teaching others has helped him solidify his own understanding of concepts and retention of knowledge. He grasps concepts much better and attributes his good grade-point average to this.

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Isooba Mbeiza Rachel  – Faculty of Engineering, Design and Technology
Since childhood, Isooba Mbeiza Rachel has enjoyed passing on what she knows to others. 

“Helping someone understand concepts brings me joy,” she said. 

Isooba Mbeiza Rachel
Isooba Mbeiza Rachel

Since assuming her writing center coach role in September 2023, she has met with one-to-two students for two hours each week. While helpful, she feels sessions could be more beneficial if they were longer and more frequent. 

“Mr. Martin Kajubi, our director, is amazing, helpful and very understanding,” Rachel said. “It is such a blessing to be part of the writing center. People are very kind, friendly and embrace teamwork. Generally, the atmosphere is very conducive for all.”

She also lauded the 2024 writing week that exposed students to different types of literature. 

As with other tutors, balancing their own academics with tutor duties can be challenging, according to Rachel who added that the benefits outweigh obstacles. 

“Witnessing the great academic impact the writing center has had on the student body and my passion for teaching others, I would love to continue working with the writing center,” she said. 

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi explains the five key points of the UCU Campus Transformation Initiative.

UCU seeks to improve student experience through transformation initiative

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Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi explains the five key points of the UCU Campus Transformation Initiative.
Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi explains the five key points of the UCU Campus Transformation Initiative.

By Irene Best Nyapendi
For seven years, starting this year, Uganda Christian University (UCU) will be striving to transform its face through digitization, infrastructure refurbishment and greening the campuses. To achieve this initiative that seeks to improve the student experience, the university also will pay attention to improving the staff motivation to enable employees to become agents of transformation.  

According to UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, the project, named the Campus Transformation Initiative 2024-2030, seeks to bring to life the vision of the founders of the university.

Ongoing renovations at UCU Main Campus.
Ongoing renovations at UCU Main Campus.

Speaking at the project launch in late May, Mushengyezi explained that the seven-year timeline is significant, drawing inspiration from biblical themes of perfection, completion and abundance. This signature initiative formed part of the report card that Mushengyezi gave to the university stakeholders during the Vice Chancellor’s address at the UCU graduation on July 5.

“God created the world in seven days and it was perfect, so we are believing in God for a season of perfection of his work here at UCU,” Mushengyezi said in May.

The initiative at a glance:

  1. Digitized Campus Services: UCU aims to leverage technology to enhance the student experience, improve efficiency, and streamline campus operations. This includes the implementation of digital platforms for learning, administration, and communication. 

    “We want to emphasize a digitalized campus, so that our stakeholders can relate with us in a faster and efficient way,” said Mushengyezi.

  2. Refurbished Campus Infrastructure: The university plans to renovate and upgrade its facilities to create a conducive learning environment. This includes the construction of new buildings and refurbishment of classrooms, libraries, and other infrastructure. 

    “Some of our buildings have served their time and may have to come down to give room for bigger and better infrastructure,” Mushengyezi explained. “Even the ones we can still use, we want to renovate them so that we can have a conducive environment for our lecturers and students to enjoy.”

  3. Paved and Remodeled Walkways and Roads: UCU aims to upgrade its walkways and roads to create a safe and accessible campus environment. This includes paving and remodeling walkways, roads, and parking areas to enhance mobility and accessibility. 
  4. Landscaped, Green and Clean Campuses: The university is committed to creating and maintaining a beautiful, green, and sustainable campus. This includes landscaping, planting trees and flowers, and implementing initiatives to keep the campus clean and green. The goal is to create a conducive environment for staff and students, and to make UCU a benchmark for campus transformation globally. 
  5. Trained, Equipped, and Motivated Team to Lead the Transformation: UCU is committed to developing a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals who will drive the transformation process. This team will be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to ensure the initiative’s success.

Students welcome initiative
Ryan Asabo, a year-one student pursuing a Bachelor of Procurement and Logistic Management, expressed joy for the ongoing transformations at UCU. Asabo, who is on a sports bursary at UCU, was drawn to the university due to its promise of academic and sports transformations.

Ongoing revamp of the walkways.
Ongoing revamp of the walkways.

“I’m excited to enjoy some of the transformations, like the paving of the walkways,” he said.”I’m sure many more students will be attracted to UCU because of some of the transformations being undertaken.”

Lillian Akao, a second-year student pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration, has expressed her satisfaction with the ongoing transformations at UCU.  She says the value for her money is evident in the quality of services and facilities provided. She is confident that the transformations will further enhance the UCU experience.

Ruth Rebecca Lamo, a first-year student pursuing a Higher Education Certificate in Arts, finds the university “very attractive” and is thrilled to see the renovations and the five-point plan for the next seven years.

“This initiative will make UCU more competitive not only in Uganda, but also in the region,” said Lamo. “I’m looking forward to pursuing my bachelor’s degree here to experience what the university will be like through the initiative.”

Emmanuel Olelema, a final-year student pursuing Bachelor of Education, commends UCU for its well-planned activities: “I like the five-point plan and the fact that they have already started on implementing it, I now have faith there will be no more dust and mud at UCU,” Olelema said.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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The Chancellor, The Most Rev. Steven Samuel Kazimba Mugalu, and the Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi during the recession

UCU holds first-ever virtual graduation

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By John Semakula

In the midst of the first-ever virtual graduation ceremony of Uganda Christian University (UCU) on December 18, 2020, there was hope.

One of the First Class students permitted to attend the December graduation in person
One of the First Class students permitted to attend the December graduation in person

The hope was in the 1,810 students – most of them not physically present – getting diplomas and degrees and in the announcement of infrastructural development projects to be implemented, starting in 2021. On this Friday and from the Mukono campus, there was optimism about the institution’s outlook and boosting its revenue.

UCU Vice-Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, unveiled the projects, which are part of a fundraising drive started in late September, during the 21st graduation ceremony as the university enters its 23rd year.

“The first project, which will potentially unlock $10 million worth of infrastructure development, involves construction of a shopping Centre, a three-star hotel, and four blocks of residential halls for 1,000 rooms on the main campus,” Mushengyezi said.

The second project involves the beautification and infrastructure improvement intended to make UCU Main Campus one of the most attractive in East Africa. In 2015, Christianuniverstiesonline.org ranked UCU as among the 50 most beautiful Christian campuses globally.

Mushengyezi said that the University Council has already approved a portion of the projects, which will be implemented in collaboration with private sector partners.

The infrastructure project at the Mukono/main campus includes improvements to the Bishop Tucker Gate; a business centre with a food court; a parking lot; a students’ digital lounge and UCU Information Center. UCU also will construct walkways; install solar lights on the roads within and outside the University; and connect digital screens in buildings for real-time display of time e-tables and e-notices.

The Vice-Chancellor said that UCU also has embarked on a fundraising drive for the construction of the Ordinands Apartment for ordinands and clergy who study at UCU.

Mushengyezi thanked the UCU Chancellor and Church of Uganda Archbishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, for his support for projects and appealed to friends of Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology to provide added assistance.

“All dioceses, organizations and individuals will be listed on a Hall of Fame in the building when it’s completed,” he said. “This will be our priority project for UCU Sunday over the next few years. We thank churches and individuals that have donated funds, and we look forward to contributions from the dioceses from UCU Sunday collections.”

He revealed that Prof. Stephen Noll, the first UCU Vice-Chancellor, had offered to buy a new clock for Bishop Tucker Building and that procurement is also ongoing.

Mushengyezi later took the guests through some of the achievements the different faculties at UCU have posted in the recent past. They included:

  • $17,335 grant Bishop Tucker School received via Overseas Council Australia to refurbish the department of theology at Mbale University College Campus;
  • School of Dentistry donation (mobilized by the USA-based UCU Partners) worth thousands of dollars through Midmark Corporation in form of dental equipment that included dental suits/chairs; and
  • UCU School of Business skills development facility grant through the Private Sector Foundation funded by the World Bank to pioneer a birding course that will strengthen the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism program.

The 1,810 students graduating with diplomas and degrees on Friday came from disciplines that include: Theology; Social Work and Social Administration; Public Administration and Management; Law; Environment and Disaster Management; Education; and Development Studies and Public Administration.

The ceremony started with the commissioning service for graduands graced by Archbishop Kaziimba at 10 a.m. Only 80 students, selected for their high academic standing, attended the event physically while others followed it on UCU digital platforms that streamed live. A total of 42 students garnered first class degrees in different disciplines, but with the Faculty of Social Sciences posting the biggest number at 24.

Kaziimba asked the graduands to emulate Jesus on servant leadership. He said: “With servant leadership, there is no need to ask for a seat because we are called not to sit and be served, but to stand and serve others.”

Regarding the forthcoming general elections in Uganda, the Archbishop urged the graduands to exercise Christian influence.

“This is a very important civil duty and I encourage each one of you to vote, and to encourage your peers to also vote,” he said. “As graduates, you have been equipped to think and to analyze issues. Please apply those skills in deciding whom you will vote for. It’s your generation that will help Uganda move to another level in its national development, one that moves peacefully beyond tribalism and overcomes corruption.”

The Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, who was the guest of honor at the ceremony, urged graduands to remain calm during the ongoing campaign period, to love their country and to honor peoples’ political convictions.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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The Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, seated, with his wife, Ruth, and children and grandchildren in 2017

Legacy – Senyonyi discusses lessons learned, offers advice for successor

COVID-19, Faculty, , , , , , , , ,


The Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, seated, with his wife, Ruth, and children and grandchildren in 2017
The Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, seated, with his wife, Ruth, and children and grandchildren in 2017

At the end of August 2020, the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi says farewell to 19 years of service at Uganda Christian University (UCU), having come first in 2001 as a chaplain. He has been vice chancellor since 2010. He retires in the midst of COVID-related, government orders of education shutdowns. In this last segment of a two-part series, UCU Vice Chancellor Senyonyi gives his thoughts on various aspects of his leadership and the university. John Semakula, a UCU graduate and lecturer, conducted this interview on July 6.  

What key lessons have you learned as the Vice-Chancellor?
There is one fallacy. When we need someone to manage a university, academic qualification lends more weight than other requirements. To the best of my knowledge, if you are to manage a university, academic qualifications are necessary, but I would not even put them as number one.  On the contrary, leadership qualities like listening, knowing that you are serving people, setting aside your own selfishness, being available and strategic thinking are more important. I also have learned that when it comes to managing people, it becomes more complex than even managing things like financial or building resources. The relationship with people is what is very critical because it is what will give you the respect and confidence to serve. If the people you lead don’t have respect in you, it doesn’t matter what you do.

Former UCU Vice Chancellor, Dr. Stephen Noll, right, and John Senyonyi, left, with Henry Luke Orombi, former Archbishop of the Church of Uganda
Former UCU Vice Chancellor, Dr. Stephen Noll, right, and John Senyonyi, left, with Henry Luke Orombi, former Archbishop of the Church of Uganda

Any lessons on financing for a private University?
There is one mistake that many managers of academic institutions make –  that is to think that you must always look outside yourself to get the resources you need to manage an institution. What happens quite often is if it is a public institution, it looks to government to finance its activities. If it’s a private institution, at this present time, many don’t even know what to do at all. But you have got to be creative. It’s a wrong model to always turn to government for money that it does not usually have. My argument has always been that government should give us the right environment to operate in terms of taxation, or if we are talking about land to allow us to observe the law of ownership. Unless that is done, it becomes impossible for the institution to own land in a meaningful way. Many people have also come to me to benchmark thinking that UCU relies heavily on foreign funding. However, for the last 10 years, I can stand here and testify that I have received no foreign support for any capital development. None whatsoever, they have supported scholarships for students and things like that, but definitely no windfall of money that has put up a classroom building or worked on the roads and so forth. So this business of thinking that an outsider will finance what you need to do, I think for me, has been a very big lesson.

What has been the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the infrastructure at UCU?   When buildings are not in use, they fall into disrepair, and that is what brings me pain and anxiety. I start wondering how much the University will invest to repair them when eventually it reopens, especially if it takes very long to get them back to tenantable condition.

Has government promised to finance private universities in the lockdown?
What I have heard government say is not about providing grants, but loans. Once you talk of a loan, the first thing that someone will always have to think about is how to access it in a responsible way according to your cash-flows, both present and projected. We can’t take a loan at this time when we are even rescheduling the loans we had.  If it was a grant, I would have been at the door of the government knocking so that I can support my staff. Government did indeed ask us how much we need to survive per month, which I sent them. We sent them our monthly bill that has payroll and utilities, above shb1.7bn (roughly $460,000), but I am not very sure that they are going to do anything more. I would be very happy if they can. I wrote a letter to His Excellency the President and to the Minister of Education (also the first lady),asking for support for private universities. Right now government is supporting public universities by paying salaries of staff and all that, but who is taking care of our staff? So the ball is pretty much in the hands of government to ensure that there is some support that comes to us as private institutions.

Why did UCU suspend staff contracts during the COVID-19 lockdown?
The suspension is like putting on hold any obligations or liabilities that the University would have had toward those staff members, and it was to help save resources so that the University remains afloat even minimally. The suspension is saying that for the time being, you are a staff member, but we have no obligation and liabilities with respect to your benefits. I have to admit that probably, for all my 10 years as Vice-Chancellor or even for the 20 years I have been at the University, it was the most painful thing to do to look at all your staff and say we are not going to hold responsibility for paying your salary, well knowing it’s their livelihood.

Will the staff be paid the salary arrears in future?
To promise that we shall pay the salary in arrears later is to make the assumption that for this period we shall be getting revenue that accrues to that time. Only public institutions can operate that way.

What piece of advice do you have for the incoming Vice-Chancellor?
Fortunately, we are already doing some orientation sessions with him and they are going very well. To me I think that has been very helpful. We are exposing him to the full breadth of what I have been involved with. But I would say that first and foremost, he is coming from outside so it’s much better and foremost to be a listener. Implementation is not normally the best thing to start immediately. Leadership is like trying to place interlocking bricks.  Before I place it, I need to know what fits where. Listening is critical to achieve that and will give him an opportunity to also understand the systems that are in place. He will of course be free to change according to his vision, but when you change before you have listened, it appears like you want to rub away what others have done. The problem with that is that you think you are changing what your predecessor has done, but you are also rubbing away all those people that are connected with it and may still be on staff. You are telling them that what they were doing is useless and that it was not the best way of doing it.

Any spiritual advice for your successor on how to handle staff and spirituality?
The best people that will help him to settle down are within the University – not without. They are the ones he is going to live and work with. Other people may advise, but ultimately he needs to make sure that he connects with the staff rather than trying to create a relationship gap with them. What he does with staff members also becomes important with students. On the spiritual side, he is a Christian, which is very excellent. It will be very important for him who is not an ordained person not to relinquish his role as the spiritual leader in the University. That role may be carried out differently because he is not going to stand and lead services, he may not even be a preacher. He may not do the same thing that I have been doing, but his spiritual leadership is important to ensure that whatever has been in place in terms of spiritual leadership continues.

What advice do you have for the new Chancellor?
I think the job of the new chancellor is easier. First and foremost, I think giving opportunities for the Vice-Chancellor and his leadership team to meet with him on a regular basis. One of the things we did here to ensure that we meet him quite often almost every semester was simply to create pastoral visits for the Chancellor. He comes and interacts with different people. There may also be time when the Vice-Chancellor may need to have a one on one or an opportunity away from here. Secondary for the Chancellor, one of the most critical things is to keep in mind that UCU is the Provincial University. Therefore, as Archbishop, he has the responsibility to ensure that the Provincial nature of this University is protected before the eyes of the Church. That means that all the bishops have a stake in the University. Unlike other Anglican founded Universities, when it comes to UCU, all the dioceses under the Province must see their responsibility and the chancellor is key in ensuring that they understand this such that they don’t look at the University like any other.

What has been your biggest challenge as the Vice-Chancellor in the last 10 years
Inevitably, everything goes back to meager resources because if you wanted to get very good staff members and to furnish classrooms, you need the resources. When I talk about infrastructure, it still goes back to resources. Essentially what you are looking at is a University that depends almost entirely, more than 90 percent on student tuition. When you are in that kind of situation, you have got to put more weight on students to pay up. But if they don’t pay up, they won’t get the services. So it’s the issue of resources that has been my biggest headache. I sleep and wake up thinking about resources.

What is management doing to overcome the burden of inadequate resources?
We have tried various ways to think of how we can harness some resources from the University particularly using our land from Ntawo, but then the problem is that squatters have put down their foot. They don’t want to compensate not even entering a relationship with the University that owns that land. That means that the University that owns this prime land, which we could have used to build an endowment can’t. So the issue of resources stands out as the one challenge that any Vice-Chancellor needs to come too and resolve.

What is the biggest challenge awaiting the new Vice-Chancellor?
It’s still the same, inadequate resources. Some people quite often think that research money will bridge the financial gap. Research money will come and may be used to purchase some equipment, put up a building, but people are not going to give you money to run the University. Inevitably the biggest challenge that I think the new Vice-Chancellor will face is to ensure that there are resources that do not come from abroad that depend on any external factors other than the fact that the University has its own resources.

What advice do you have for the staff members you are leaving behind?
Welcome the incoming Vice-Chancellor warmly because as much as his own handling of staff is important for that relationship to advance the mission of the University, it’s also true that unless staff members are open to welcome him, it also becomes problematic. Secondary, my experience in a University like this is that unless you feel a sense of calling to do this work, I am afraid it becomes very difficult for one to get the job satisfaction. It’s very easy to come here and do your work more or less for what you are going to get at the end of the month. That is important because people should get their pay, but if that is all that attracts you to UCU, you will not get the satisfaction. Staff members should take pride in a few years down the road to be able to look back and say I contributed to that University that there is a brick I put there.

How have you avoided the temptation to mismanage University finances?
There is no position I have assumed because I am going to earn. Earning? Yes, I do, but I do whatever job as a vocation. This is my third station because I started from Makerere University. Then God called me and I spent another 13 years in an evangelical organization. I didn’t come here until I was convinced that God was calling me to serve. I knew he was calling me to be the University chaplain. Later, it was quite a bit of convincing to come out of the chaplaincy to be the deputy Vice-Chancellor. Eventually God just said; you will go whether you like it or not. When the Vice-Chancellor’s slot was falling vacant, ideally I was refusing to apply.  I remember asking the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Noll whether I had to apply. He was encouraging. I still said no, and eventually it was my youngest son who convinced me by asking me a very serious theological question. He said: “If you don’t apply, how will you know that God is choosing you to serve in that capacity?”  So that is when I applied, but it was like saying I don’t care if I don’t get it. When I am serving, I see money or resources and power as what God has equipped me with to serve others. Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is to be treasured more than riches. But for many people, when they get a job, it’s getting rich that becomes the most important. For me according to that verse, the most important thing is to have a good name. I want to be able to go through this University with an untarnished name.

Any piece of advice for the students as you leave?
I think I have grieved more for the students than anything. The reason I grieve for the students is very simple; I went to the University of Nairobi a year before they had had a lockdown of the University for five months. The University of Nairobi used to be closed quite a bit. So when I look at these students I feel that what those others at the University of Nairobi went through. At least for them they had government supporting them. But this lockdown has created a situation where the students have suffered a setback by months and it may even be by years in terms of their career development. Secondary what will happen when they go out? Will the job market still be the same? That itself may set them back for years because the job market is going to struggle to get back to its rails. I feel for them.

The interviewer, John Semakula, is a graduate of Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies of Uganda Christian University (UCU). Currently, he works as the supervisor of The Standard newspaper and lecturer of journalism and Communication at UCU. John worked as a Senior Writer with the New Vision newspaper for eight years.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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Some students receiving food relief carry packages from university gate to their hostels

UCU rescues hungry students amidst lockdown

COVID-19, Students, , , , , ,


Some students receiving food relief carry packages from university gate to their hostels
Some students receiving food relief carry packages from university gate to their hostels

By Douglas Olum

At mid-morning on Thursday, May 14, 2020, and under the sun’s sharp burning rays, small groups of students banned from Uganda Christian University (UCU) under government COVID19 guidelines approached the main gate in Mukono. Students trickled in and out of the university, undergoing hand sanitizer spraying and temperature check exercises before entering.

As with all Ugandan universities since the country’s lockdown and university shutdowns started in late March, the students faced health scrutiny by university security officers and a medical worker. The students were hungry – struggling for roughly eight weeks without access to the regular university meals of tea, bread, rice, beans and, on occasion, chicken. While not the same as regular consumption, the UCU Office of the Director of Student Affairs provided some food relief.

The university’s intervention, supported by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, responded to television and news reports that revealed that university students were starving in nearby hostels, caught by the lockdown with no public transportation to leave.  The news reported by NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor newspaper, coupled with direct phone calls to the Guild President, Timothy Kadaga, prompted an the necessary intervention.

An estimated 160 UCU students were stuck in various hostels and rentals around Mukono. At least 81 students got the first batch of the relief package which included; 10kg (22 pounds) bag of maize flour, a carton of 124ml (4.23 ounces) boxed milk, beans, powdered milk, cooking oil, (1kg or 35.3 ounces/2 lb.) of sugar and a bar of soap.

Students were interviewed anonymously to avoid shame that most felt about receiving assistance. They came, they said, after exhausting all other possible options to survive.

“I had just received my transport money to return home that evening when the president [Yoweri Kaguta Museveni] announced the ban on public transport,” one of them, a second-year Bachelor of Civil and Environmental Engineering student, said. “I had to use the money for upkeep but it even got finished within a week. I called home again and I was sent some more money, which also got finished. When I called again, I was told to wait because there was no money.”

A collection of the items
A collection of the items

For more than a week prior to the time of the food relief distribution, the 22-year old said he depended on his friends and well-wishing neighbors.

Just like him, another beneficiary who is on the UCU Sports Bursary, and residing at the St. Michael Historical Hostel, said he lived on porridge for three days and almost died. He recounted:

“My tummy was grumbling. My joints were weak. I kept turning in my bed, trying to find a position in which my tummy would stop hurting to no avail. I got up and tried to make porridge again, but there was no more sugar in the room. At that point, my body was shaking like I was standing on something vibrating. I fell back to bed and that was when I started thinking of alternative options like contacting the guild president.”

At that point, the student said he came to realize that food was not just mere quench for hunger, but life itself.

A female student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration echoed these thoughts. She said:  “The package may appear small but it means so much to me. At least I can be sure that I will feed myself and live for some time while I explore other options and wait for the end of the lockdown.”

A second batch of students received portions on Tuesday, May 19, taking the total to 150 beneficiaries. They were humbled and grateful, they said.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org

Uganda Christian University team at the Africa Regional Conference of the World Congress of Families, November 2019, in Accra, Ghana. Jack and Linda Klenk with Michael Clement (Africa Policy Centre), Richard Sebaggala (School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies), Rev. Jasper Tumuhimbise (UCU-Church of Uganda Relations), Betty Enyipu (Social Sciences), and Peter Ubomba-Jaswa (School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies).

‘Faith connects us with brothers and sisters worldwide’

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Uganda Christian University team at the Africa Regional Conference of the World Congress of Families, November 2019, in Accra, Ghana. Jack and Linda Klenk with Michael Clement (Africa Policy Centre), Richard Sebaggala (School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies), Rev. Jasper Tumuhimbise (UCU-Church of Uganda Relations), Betty Enyipu (Social Sciences), and Peter Ubomba-Jaswa (School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies).
Uganda Christian University team at the Africa Regional Conference of the World Congress of Families, November 2019, in Accra, Ghana. Jack and Linda Klenk with Michael Clement (Africa Policy Centre), Richard Sebaggala (School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies), Rev. Jasper Tumuhimbise (UCU-Church of Uganda Relations), Betty Enyipu (Social Sciences), and Peter Ubomba-Jaswa (School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies).

By Patty Huston-Holm

Waterfalls, forests, savannahs, gorillas, chimpanzees, lions and giraffes make Uganda amazing. Yet, as cliché as it sounds, for Jack and Linda Klenk, the best thing about the country known as the “pearl of Africa” is the people – the relationships they have there.

Jack and Linda Klenk, at home in Virginia, USA
Jack and Linda Klenk, at home in Virginia, USA

Jack (Read More) first went to Uganda over fifty years ago for three years, studying and teaching as part of an Anglo-American teaching organization, Teachers for East Africa.

For Linda, her first of many trips to Uganda was in 1998, when she and Jack led a short-term mission team to Uganda.  Some of the young children they met then have how grown up and are married with children.  From the beginning, “I was all in,” Linda said. “The people were so friendly.”

Something that is very special for Jack and Linda is how Christianity connects people across cultural lines. When he lived in Uganda in the 1960s, Jack noticed a sense of bonding with Ugandans who were Christians.  Over the years, he and Linda have experienced that again and again.  When sharing a faith in Christ, “you’re family…regardless of the language you speak or the pigmentation of your skin,” Jack said.

Indeed, Linda added, “Ugandans have opened my eyes to see how faith connects us with brothers and sisters worldwide.”

Jack, a member of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Partners Board, built new Uganda relationships with Linda after their marriage in 1997, while his long-established ones became hers as well.  They were in a church that had a relationship with the Diocese of Kigezi in western Uganda, and later with UCU.  The church sent short-term mission teams to Uganda and other countries, sponsored Compassion International children, supported missionaries at UCU, helped start a hospital in Kigezi, and sent containers with supplies for UCU and other ministries in Uganda.

For most of their marriage, the couple lived near Washington, D.C., where Jack worked for the US Department of Education.  There, they gladly opened their home to Ugandans, including a number from UCU and the government, who were visiting the nation’s capital.  The Klenks would show them Washington. So many Ugandans visited their home that it became known as “Uganda house.”

Under their roof emerged the “American Hamburger University” – so designated because Ugandans gathered in their kitchen to learn the trade of making traditional American hamburgers. Still today, Ugandan “graduates” of the fictitious AHU hold dear their certificates declaring their “hunger for learning” and “excellent taste and high achievement.”   In 2019, when the Klenks were in Uganda, one graduate organized a dinner with certificate holders at a Kampala hotel.

“Our visitors from Uganda are so fun,” Linda said.  “They ask me questions that make me think.  Like, ‘why do Americans put stickers on fruit they buy at the grocery store’?’”

One of the first Ugandans Linda met was the Rev. Canon Jovahn Turyamureeba, when he was a student at Virginia Theological Seminary in 1997.  He made arrangements for the team they led to the Diocese of Kigezi in 1998, where they became involved with Bishop George Katwesigye and other Ugandans who are friends to this day.  Another was Julius Mucunguzi, now communications director for the Ugandan Prime Minister, who did a recent video call with them on Facebook Messenger. He continues to applaud the Klenks for their hospitality when he arrived for the first time in the United States with no luggage and few funds in 2000. In addition to a photo of the Klenks, Julius’ 2014 book, entitled “Once Upon A Time…” describes Jack and Linda as “a couple whose love for Uganda is unmatched.”

The stories are many. Seminarians.  Bishops. Students. Faculty. The UCU Vice Chancellor and his wife. A wedding reception.  Celebrations of Uganda Martyrs Day and Uganda Independence Day.

Sheltered in their home in the midst of COVID-19, the Klenks take precautions. On the occasions when they go out, as to visit their daughter and her family nearby, they wear masks and gloves, and social distance. But they see the difficulties they face as “just an inconvenience” compared with what others in Uganda and the US are facing. Linda said. “Others are really suffering, while we are comfortable, with food, running water, and electricity. . .”

Jack and Linda know that Ugandans are hurting because of the coronavirus, but also know that they don’t easily talk about their hardships. Thus, it is hard to know exactly how they are faring. Ugandans they have come to know are “so polite, they don’t complain, they see the glass half full, not half empty.”

Out loud, Jack wonders: “How can Ugandans survive this crisis? With 8-to-10 people living together in one room, how can they social distance? If they can’t travel or go to work, how can they afford to buy food? How can they pay school fees and university tuition?”

Many of the Klenks’ Ugandan friends are connected to Uganda Christian University.  They have come to know and respect UCU for the way it combines academics with character building and spiritual formation, setting it apart from other universities.

Jack and Linda admire UCU for its determination to be a thoroughly Christian university and not to lose its Christian identity the way many colleges in the US that were once Christian have done.  It provides “a complete education for a complete person” for its students, whether they are in traditional disciplines like science, law, journalism and business, or in the Bishop Tucker seminary that prepares clergy from all over Uganda and East Africa, and even from the U.S. They like how UCU is a leading institution for Christian orthodoxy in the “global south” and the whole world.

Jack has served on the UCU Partners board since 2010, and greatly enjoys his visits to UCU and the relationships he has there. In recent years, a special focus for him has been UCU’s Africa Policy Centre, the first Christian policy think tank in Uganda.

As Jack reflects on his Christian walk, he asserts: “God calls us to follow him and serve him in the community of the Church. Sometimes God directs us to specific things, but mostly we are to look for opportunities to live out our call to follow and serve him.  I am grateful for how this has led to involvement in Uganda starting over fifty years ago.  I am especially grateful for the blessings Linda and I have received through our engagement with UCU.  We pray that UCU will survive the current coronavirus lockdown and always be a bright beacon of light for Uganda, Africa, and the world.”

Jack and Linda hope to travel to Uganda in October 2020 for the graduation and the annual Public Lecture, this year with the noted cultural critic, Mary Eberstadt.  They hope the current shutdown will end and that those events will take place.  Graduation in the past two years was extra special for them because students they helped along the way wore caps and gowns.

Jack sees Ugandan Christians as strong even during this coronavirus crisis because of their faith in Christ. They hurt, but they “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (I Thess. 4:13).  He and Linda are challenged by how Ugandan Christians endure incredible difficulties and still smile and have inner joy.

“No matter how bad it gets, Ugandan Christians have hope,” Jack said. “It is by the grace of God.”

For Jack and Linda, this they know: They have been blessed beyond measure by Uganda and Ugandans, and they have received much more than they have given.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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Frank Obonyo holds Keren, his daughter, who he features in the article. Other family members are the writer’s wife, Cathryn, and children, Adonai and Ezekiel.

COVID-19: Ugandan father makes good out of the season

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Frank Obonyo holds Keren, his daughter, who he features in the article. Other family members are the writer’s wife, Cathryn, and children, Adonai and Ezekiel.
Frank Obonyo holds Keren, his daughter, who he features in the article. Other family members are the writer’s wife, Cathryn, and children, Adonai and Ezekiel.

By Frank Obonyo

Keren: Daddy, why does Coronavirus have many names?

Me: Which ones?

Keren: Corona, COVID-19, Coronavirus…

Keren, age 3, is my youngest of three children. We – my wife, Cathryn, and our children Adonai, age 9, Ezekiel, 6, and Keren – live in Kirowoza, Mukono, Uganda.  As I write this on Easter in April 2020, the deadly virus has not reached our village. But word about it has, including to a three-year-old.

Children ask questions. Lots of awesome questions. If deeply thought about, their intricate inquiries make a lot of sense. They wonder why things are the way they are.

Our three-year-old is excessively talkative and inquisitive. I recall one such time when she asked: “Does Jesus have a house in my stomach?” We previously told her that Jesus lives in us. Instead of figuratively about the spirit of Christ, our youngest took this literally.

It was during an evening walk with Keren that the COVID questions came. When I later went to bed and recollected what happened in the day, Keren’s question made actual sense. To think about it, COVID-19 is like a maze.

Multiple names are part of the maze as we weave through additional questions related to isolation, lifestyle changes, overall confusion and then how what is taking place now relates to other experiences that we have had.

Africans are connected to nature. It feeds us and shelters us but we also link it to natural occurrences. Locusts –those swarming, tropical grasshoppers – eat up vegetation including crops, leaving people in terrible famine. A child born during a locust invasion is called “Obonyo,”which is part of my name and my identity. The naming of this child, or me, is symbolic. It reminds the community about the dreadful disaster.

The Northern Uganda Luo speaking group refers to the insect invasion as “bonyo.” The Luo are one of East Africa’s largest ethnic groups.

In this season, Coronavirus seems to have touched the climate as well. Our weather is either dry or wet, and April is a rainy month. However, the sun is now baking green leaves bone-dry, sprinkling our heads with grayish dust and we have no option but to survive this life indoors, behind closed shutters. It is the government’s “distancing” and “sheltering” orders (expanded for another three weeks from the two-week curfew that ended April 14).

What is more exceptional is that the desert locusts swarmed Uganda just a few months ago. The two tragedies seemed to have agreed to attack us one after another. These somewhat haphazard observations may give a fair idea of what our country is like.

Life, I must admit, is ugly for us as it must seem to others around the world in this COVID-19 pandemic environment. We are accustomed to routine. Wake up, get to work, come back home, sleep.

This has changed. It is now bedroom to living room, kitchen to compound; that is the cycle. We miss out on social life, working together and even as a community, mourning the death of someone. In Uganda, life is about meeting friends, extended family, workmates. Men, for example, reserve Saturday and Sunday to watch English premier league games, children have school assignments, and mothers go shopping. We go out to church together.

We now hear and live two words: Stay home.

I admire Keren and her two brothers for how they adapt.  They remind me of Jesus’ teachings about humility. He said that we should humble ourselves like little children if we are to enter the Kingdom of God. If we are to live happily, we ought to live like children. And not worry.

My children do not worry about the bills, the next meal. If they have parents around them, food and accommodation, they have it all. They go forward, no matter what. There is very little fear. Children do not worry about the virus or a lockdown. They are focused on being themselves; they have an insatiable curiosity. It is not about missing the old life. It is about onward and upward. Children adapt quickly, and perhaps that is why they live happier lives. My children wake up, play, eat, and are happy to see us around.

The truth is, for adults accustomed to routines outside of parenting, spending more time with children can get complicated and chaotic. Lots of laundry, playing the role of a judge, answering why COVID-19 has many names…

I am using this season break from work and post-graduate studies to help my children improve in their reading skills and understand who they are in God. I read with them the adventures of Mr. Hare. This folklore revolves around the cunning Mr. Hare, who, though in small stature, employs his wisdom and tricks to outmaneuver bigger opponents and always takes the prize home. The stories are packed with humor and life lessons. We also study the Bible; April is the month of the book of Ephesians.

I am making good out of the season, as there will be others.

Frank Obonyo is a Communications Officer at Uganda Christian University(UCU), an MA graduate in literature from UCU and an MA Digital Journalism fellow at the Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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UCU’s e-learning center on the Mukono campus includes touch-screen capabilities as one example of state-of-the-art technology.

UCU e-learning status amidst COVID-19 environment

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UCU’s e-learning center on the Mukono campus includes touch-screen capabilities as one example of state-of-the-art technology.
UCU’s e-learning center on the Mukono campus includes touch-screen capabilities as one example of state-of-the-art technology.

By Douglas Olum

“A 21st century university isn’t just brick and mortar. It’s evolutionary, novel, re-engineering processes, emergent, have value laden solutions beyond geographical borders in complex times like these. A commendation is befitting,” Godfrey Sempungu, the Associate Dean of the Uganda Christian University (UCU), Faculty of Business and Administration, posted in an April 2, 2020, Tweet.

His post came only days after parliamentarian, Gilbert Olanya, proclaimed before the Parliament of Uganda, during a sitting in which UCU’s digital migration was discussed, that the university based in Mukono is one of the best.

“We thank the UCU for being one of the best universities in East Africa,” Mr. Olanya said, alluding, in part, to use of technology.

On Friday March 20, UCU, like all other educational institutions in Uganda, sent home its more than 5,000 main campus students as well as regional campus students following a presidential directive instructing all schools and academic institutions in the country to go on a 30-day shutdown because of the globally threatening COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, Uganda had not yet recorded a single case of the viral disease. But all her neighbors, including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan had already recorded cases of the disease.

The shutdown came just three weeks before students could kick-start their end of the Easter Semester examinations. Amidst the unanticipated interruption, UCU quickly shifted to its digital learning platform to continue assessing as well as to examine students in a bid to counter the eventuality of physical exodus from campuses. This on-line alternative was curtailed on April 4 when Janet Museveni, minister of education, suspended this option.

The UCU Vice Chancellor, Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi, who previously applauded university staff for adaptability in the midst of the pandemic, issued, in part, this statement on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020:

“In compliance with the Minister’s directive, I must regretfully inform you that we shall not issue you with the examinations as we had intended. We realize that many of you have been preparing for these examinations. Besides, over 90% of you had registered your phone numbers or other contact information to receive the examinations from the University; and the number was still rising. This means that you will have to sit for these examinations upon resumption of normal University programs.”

Uganda registered her first case of the Coronavirus disease on March 22 with a 30-year-old businessman who returned from a trip in Dubai (United Arabs Emirates). The number has since grown to 53 (April 8, 2020), with the majority of the cases being of returnees from other countries, including China, India and Europe.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni consequently banned all forms of public gatherings including church services, monthly market days, political rallies, clubs and large wedding events. He also has banned all public transportation and limited private vehicle use to curb the possible spread of COVID-19.

The UCU Vice Chancellor further clarified in an April 9, 2020, memo:

“As I said earlier, our plan for the Take Home exam was conceived in good faith and we had the best of intentions for our students. It has never crossed our minds and we never did anything intentionally to disobey Government at such a critical time. Despite the current situation in the country, we believed that through available technological facilities at UCU, students would be able to complete their semester with minimal interruption. We considered that we should fully support Government efforts to decongest, and in that spirit, we judged that the use of technology was safe for our students since they would be doing the exams in the comfort of their homes.”

The Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi further stated in that memo, in part, that “Uganda Christian University is a law-abiding institution which cannot act contrary to the directives of our line ministry or of the Government. I request you to remain calm and commit everything to the Risen LORD.”

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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.

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Dr. Senyonyi calls for “avoiding mediocrity” to transform Uganda’s education system

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Dr. John Senyonyi  is pinned with the Makerere University badge by Mrs. Lorna Magara, while Dr. David Onen, Prof. Umar Kakumba and Prof. Fred Masaazi look on.

By Douglas Olum

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) notes that more than a billion children globally go to school everyday to receive education. But the quality of that education is in question.

According to UNICEF, “access to education of poor quality is tantamount to no access at all” and “the quality of education children receive is critical to genuine learning and human development.”

Uganda is among countries that live with the reality of questionable education quality. A 2013 report published by the Zimbabwe Journal of Education Research described the challenges to the quality of education in Uganda as with“sociological, economic and philosophical dimensions.” The researchers recommend an overhaul of the entire education system in both pedagogical and non-pedagogical areas.

Among leaders weighing in on education inferiority is Uganda Christian University Vice Chancellor, Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi.  He addressed the issue as part of his November 14, 2019, speech at the Second Annual Prof. William Senteza Kajubi memorial lecture, held at Makerere University. Using the theme, “Fostering the quality of education in Uganda,” the event was in memory of a former two-time Vice Chancellor at the host university.

In his address as the keynote speaker, Dr. Senyonyi said that Uganda has been bedeviled and crippled politically and economically by the educated class “whose education is cerebral and constricted.”

He said it is unfortunate that quality education in Uganda has been reduced to obtaining high grades in the promotional exams.

“For years, there has been an outcry about the examination-centered approach to education in Uganda,” he said. “Examinations are necessary for assessment of the learner. Unfortunately, current trends have made examinations, promotion to the next education level and appearing in newspapers the purpose for education, rather than a means for evaluating a learner’s understanding.”

He continued: ”I confess right from the beginning that I view quality holistically. It is more than impartation of skills to do a job or research abilities. Genuine quality education should change the whole person, as a person, and his or her entire outlook and output.”

However, he said he has heard outcries from employers, government, secondary schools, universities and other institutions of higher learning that graduates are unusable.  They need to be retrained to fit the work they train for, and there is a scarcity of skilled personnel that can serve the strategic direction envisaged for national development. Among problems are that students may get high grades in Primary Leaving Examinations but are unable to keep their good grades, and that students can neither “express themselves nor spell correctly.”

Dr. Senyonyi said that quality education “must not be viewed as a dead end, but as a dynamic target achieved through responsiveness to the changing needs, facilities at both the national and international environment.” He further elaborated on he need for quality to be clearly defined and made responsive to the broad spectrum, spanning nursery (pre-school), primary, secondary, high school and higher education.

“In Uganda today we are so satisfied with mediocrity in our education, music and even the dressing, and that is very unfortunate,” Dr. Senyonyi said.

He also said that while standards are admittedly lacking across the various education levels and institutions, there are needs for adjustment in the following areas: 1) keener look on the quality of pre-primary education; 2) regulation of training institutions for instructors; 3) development of instructional materials for use at pre-primary level; 4) matching theoretical training with practicals; and 5)intentionally establishing of entrepreneurial incubation centres.

Changes he proposed include these:

  • according practicums and fieldwork their right places;
  • genuine accreditation and licensing procedures;
  • effective monitoring and evaluation of institutions of higher learning by regulatory bodies like the National Council for Higher Education; and
  • provision for research outputs and proper funding for institutions of higher learning.

Dr. David Onen, a senior lecturer at Makerere University who was the main discussant, said some of the challenges facing Uganda’s education system were a result of failure by the Government to implement some earlier recommendations contained in a report written in 1989 under the leadership of the late Prof. Kajubi and widely known as “The Kajubi Report.”

For instance, he said the Government introduced teaching children in the lower classes using their mother tongues, yet the national examinations are conducted in English. That was something not included in the Kajubi report. He wondered out loud where the spirit of corruption that has eaten through Uganda’s systems come from when students are not taught at the same levels in schools.

Makerere University First Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Dr. Umar Kakumba, who represented the university’s Vice Chancellor, said the theme of the lecture came at the right time when institutions world over are grappling with the issue of quality.

He said while Uganda has seen an increased accessibility and expansion of institutions of higher learning, there has emerged “an increasing challenge of ensuring the quality of education.”

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For more of these stories and experiences by and about Uganda Christian University (UCU) students and graduates, visit https://www.ugandapartners.org.

If you would like to support UCU, contact Mark Bartels, Executive Director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or go to https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

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UCU alumna in England: Surviving and thriving with character and faith

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Sarah Lagot Odwong (third from left) celebrating Uganda independence day with friends in the United Kingdom.

By Sarah Lagot Odwong

Graduate school was always a childhood dream. A Master’s degree. Perhaps several Master’s degrees. And a PhD, that is Dr. Sarah Lagot Odwong, has quite a punchy ring to it. The academic designation adds power to tell the story of hope.

From a simple, dusty Barjere village in the throes of recovery after over two decades of civil war in Northern Uganda, beauty could rise from ashes. More importantly, young women who shared my background could see that they could achieve anything. They could paint pages of colorful life portraits. They could tell their life stories in whatever manner or fashion they felt represented their authenticity.

Uganda Christian University graduate, Sarah Lagot Odwong (center) with members of her church youth group in England.

When I got an email confirming my admission into a global top 10 humanitarian graduate school at the University of Manchester (England), I envisioned pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of my life painfully strewn by circumstances and carefully gathered back finally fitting into one coherent whole. Now, I could visualize myself seated at “The Table of Men.” Now, I could see myself applying for global positions of leadership in the places where people who looked like me, who thought like me, who spoke like me hardly ventured or never got the opportunity to enter. I was elated.

This breakthrough was the culmination of prayer and hard work. And so my journey to England started. I did not know what to expect. I was anxiously hoping that I did not make a mistake in coming to the graduate school instead of accepting a seemingly life-changing job offer.

I knew that in spite of my fears, I had to make this experience count. I was welcomed to the United Kingdom by a harsh gust of icy wind at the airport. I remarked to a colleague who came to pick me up that I hoped the rainy, chilly weather was not ominous of what lay ahead.

Once at school, I settled in with much gusto to the rigors of course registration, opening bank accounts, finding a place to live, attending socials with classmates, joining societies, visiting museums, searching for a new church, meeting new people from around the world, learning to ride double-decker buses and trains, trying out new cuisines (I live three minutes away from a two-mile stretch of Indian, Pakistani, Turkish, Lebanese, Afghan, Iraqi, Caribbean, Chinese, Thai restaurants dubbed The Curry Mile.). The experiences of a new place, new culture, and new people were initially exciting. Until they weren’t.

One shock that jolted me out of my reverie was an academic roadblock. For most of my life, school came fairly easy to me. Granted, I work hard. Extremely hard, I might add. However graduate school outside of Uganda challenged me in ways that I could never fathom. My classmates were 29 of some of the smartest, most competitive and accomplished people from around the world. Some had led United Nations humanitarian operations in Iraq. Others had overseen disaster relief efforts in Haiti, Japan and other corners of the globe. Suddenly, my experience leading a small communications department in the Uganda Country Office of an international non-profit seemed incomparable.

This was when the “impostor” syndrome set in. I wondered if I was good enough. I wondered if by some strange twist of fate I had fluked my way into the program. I pondered on how I would measure up to academic giants and people of noteworthy professional report over the course of program. My self-confidence dipped. It must have showed. Some boisterous types made it a point to laud their career exploits and academic achievements around me.

Overnight, my work was not good enough. The professors’ comments on my assignments were razor sharp and captious. I lacked critical thinking abilities, they said. My academic writing was lackluster. My thoughts were incoherent. I needed to reference better. Stop using colloquial language, they opined.

One in particular failed me flat in an assignment, calling my referencing for the paper “atrocious. “ I failed and picked myself up numerous times, but this time was different. The surly remarks ate into my psyche. I started to feel constantly inadequate. Self-doubt crept in. I walked into the graduate study office and cried at my desk.

Dark cold days, no friends, no family and mind ready to explode with stress and fatigue. I was struggling. And I did not know how to get a grip on the fast spinning chaotic wheel that my life had become.

Being thousands of miles away from my biological family in Uganda and my bonus family in Ohio, I kept up a facade of a big strong girl facing a big unwelcoming world. But even big strong girls falter. Phone calls, emails and texts from my loved ones contained the usual banter of familial relations. “How are you?’,” they prodded. I answered in the affirmative. I was doing okay, I was learning new things, and I was meeting new people. How far from the truth! I feared to rock their boats. Confessions of struggle would elicit worry and panic.

I made a difficult mental decision to turn things around for myself. It took utmost courage but here’s what I did:

  • I asked to resubmit certain assignments where I attained less than desirable grades. They were re-marked and I got much better grades.
  • I extracted myself from the class social setting to avoid the constant negativity and comparisons.
  • I sieved comments put on my assignments. I took to heart the ones that prompted me to learn and improve. I dissociated from the ones that were penned in jest and bad taste.
  • I joined a new church and started attending youth fellowships on Thursday evenings.
  • I became more deliberate about keeping in touch with family and friends in Uganda and in Ohio. I called regularly. I sent texts. Maintaining a line of connection with the people who mattered most in my life reminded me of the circle that valued my worth. It reaffirmed my existence and evoked appreciation of my capabilities. Family and friends will do for your self-confidence what a thousand self-praise singers cannot.
  • Above all, I found God in a brand new way. In the midst of the chaos, He anchored me. In the midst of insecurity and instability, He was a refuge. I developed a relationship of reckless faith, of absolute trust in his ability to steer the course of my life. I knew that despite what the reality presented, I was coming out stronger on the other side. That for me, made all the difference.

When people ask me about my experience of graduate school, my mind does not immediately wander to the mundane academic rigors associated with it. This was the easy part.

Instead, it veers to something more profound: Character.

Nobody prepared me for the loneliness, doubt, tears, frustration, agony and disappointments. I had to learn to gain resolve, to build a stronger relationship with God, to strengthen my resilience muscles, to find the inner strength daily to get up and put in the work. I came to understand that the mind creates in the spiritual what eventually manifests in the physical. You have to believe in you first before anybody else does. I realized our lives are dictated by variables and constants. Variables are opinions of men and always subject to change. Constants are laws. Our lives should be run by constants (truth). There is no truth without the WORD.

This certainly put things into perspective. People who maligned and doubted me uttered variables. My life should not be swayed like a yo-yo ball in the direction of their dictates. I needed to remember whose I am.

I chose to align to what the WORD said about me. I am an overcomer and a world changer. Whosoever is born of God overcomes the world. God’s purpose for our lives is that we fight the good fight of faith. Perpetual sleepless nights spent studying, constant fatigue, no social life, walking alone in a snow-filled park, praying in the cold; I needed to keep sight of the vision. The resultant good grades, the PhD admission, the extended professional networks, speaking engagements with global organizations did not come out of nowhere. They were borne out of painful sacrifices, never giving up, and the unmerited favor of God.

In a nutshell, my key takeaway from graduate school was the importance of character in navigating this journey called life. People see your outward glory. They do not see the toil and sacrifices planted prior.

Do not expect many to understand or even support your dream. Even the people set in your path to steer you to your destination will be inhibitors. Hold on to the people who love and support you. They will buttress you from the waves of adversity.

Above all, remember that the situation you find yourself in is only “impossible” because you have not taken action. “Impossible” is only an opinion in the minds of men. You define the limits of what is possible and what is not. As long as you have a mind to think, you have everything you need to achieve your dreams.

Becoming Dr. Sarah Lagot Odwong does not seem so far-fetched anymore. Running the United Nations Directorate of Gender is not a childhood mirage anymore. It is actually a dream within potential grasp. One day, a young girl in Barjere village will say: “I pursued because I saw her pursue. I soldiered on because she never gave up.”

All things are possible to him or her who believes. Pick up your cross and try again.

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More information about Uganda Christian University can be obtained at http://ucu.ac.ug/.

To support UCU students, programs and facilities, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org, or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

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New Chaplain shares personal aspirations and expectations for Uganda Christian University community

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The Reverend-Engineer Paul Wasswa Ssembiro
The Reverend-Engineer Paul Wasswa Ssembiro

Introduction:
The Reverend-Engineer Paul Wasswa Ssembiro is no stranger to Uganda Christian University (UCU). A mechanical engineer, teacher and preacher, his careers have taken him different places, including UCU. He has been an Assistant Lecturer at Makerere University and Kyambogo University, has worked as a Provincial Secretary to the Church of Uganda and served as National Team Leader of African Evangelistic Enterprise. With his education and experience, he emerged in the new role of University Chaplain at UCU, Mukono, when the previous Chaplain, Rev. Nyegenye Rebecca Margaret Ajambo, left for another position at All Saints’ Cathedral, Kampala, earlier this year. His official, full-time appointment is effective November 2019. Uganda Christian University Partners spoke with him to learn about his inspiration in the role, his background, and expectations for the larger UCU community.  The interview is edited for clarity.

By Brendah Ndagire

What inspired you to accept the role as Chaplain at UCU?
I have been ministering to UCU since 1999, visiting this campus as a speaker during “Mission Week,” for the student/staff community worship and during chapel time. I have specific gifts, such as oratory skills, leadership, Christian ministry, and my general experience working with a university as it relates to its community. I have preached at Makerere University, Kyambogo University, and at UCU. Comparing audiences at public universities, I think that UCU is a wonderful fit for me.

The Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro outside Principal’s Hall
The Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro outside Principal’s Hall

What does your role as Chaplain entail?
It is a broad role. Primarily, it entails spiritual formation for the university community. Whatever we do as a ministry team within the chaplaincy falls into a wider umbrella of spiritual formation. We pray and believe that as people come to UCU to pursue their studies, they would encounter Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior, and find wholeness. We pray that they would grow fully because that is something that is hard to realize in our Christian development.  Spiritual growth is not about information but about formation, and becoming more and more like Jesus. But we also have a resident community among staff members. The chapel ministry serves this community, and the community outside UCU.

Is that an institutional or personal view of the role?
It is a personal view which interfaces with the general institutional view.

What is a scripture that defines your work as a Chaplain?
That is a difficult question. One will be Ephesians 4:11-13, with text that talks about the fact that God appoints ministers for the sake of equipping other people and what other people would do in the ministry … and the goal of ministers God appoints is that people come to the full stature of Jesus Christ. The particular scriptures talks about apostles, teachers,  pastors, prophets, evangelists, and to me, chaplaincy fits into that.

What do you anticipate would be the most difficult part of being a University Chaplain?
The most difficult part would be the fact that the audience (young adults) is trying to discover what God is calling.  I think spiritual stability for  young people enrolled at UCU is a unique challenge that would make walking with them towards spiritual formation an uphill task. This is particularly (challenging) because young people are independent and they want to try out different things before they discover themselves.

The other challenge is that for now we do not have a chapel structure for community engagement throughout the week in terms of organizing activities related to spiritual development.

What do you think are the solutions to the above anticipated challenges?
Inevitably, Uganda Christian University needs to think about coming up with a comprehensive development plan for the chapel. That would include a sanctuary, that is, a place to worship, and hopefully with some outside space where students or staff can meet for other chapel activities. For now we are using Nkoyoyo Hall, and we are grateful. But in terms of a larger place where students or staff can come for prayer meetings, seminars in large or small groups, that is still lacking.

What do you find rewarding about your new role?
The most rewarding aspect of this role is recognizing that UCU is a great gift to Uganda and Africa at large, and it is rewarding to be a part of this community. Secondly, when God gives you the opportunity to pastor a community,  it is important to recognize that you are responsible for sending out people in the community as agents of transformation. Thinking about UCU in particular, it is important for me to recognize that I will be part of the process of three or four years forming the spiritual nature of its students. I think that is truly a great great reward. Part of our work as a Chaplaincy is participating in the training of Anglican priests in Uganda through Bishop Tucker School of Theology, and I consider it a privilege too, to be a part of that process.

What do you think are the major needs of the people (students and staff) you serve at UCU?
First, the staff at UCU needs to recognize that part of the work they are doing here is aiding students to integrate professional development with spiritual formation since UCU is primarily a Christian institution. For example, if I come to teach mechanical engineering, how I train students at UCU matters. The values and ethics I pass on apart from the scientific aspect of the program, would ensure that I am developing an engineering student who is primarily God fearing, a graduate who honors God, with the sense of mission, and who go in a job environment to make a difference and be different in a job market. Thus, UCU staff need to appreciate that calling to make a difference in the lives of the students they are teaching. I hope we walk that journey together.

To the student community, the need is that they are able to find/discover their purpose and calling in God, and also solidify it. There are so many opportunities for serving God in our country, and I hope that we if students are able to participate in spaces we organize at UCU, they would be better equipped to serve our nation fully.

 With your background in engineering, are you hoping to take on the role of teaching in that area at UCU at some point?
I have  a passion for teaching. That is why I call myself a teaching evangelist. I also love my engineering profession but as to whether that would translate into teaching within UCU’s engineering department, is dependent on how stretched I am in the chaplaincy role. But if I got that opportunity to teach engineering, I would see it as a platform for mentoring and supporting someone to develop professionally and rooted in Christian principles and ethical values.

Since you are based at the main campus in Mukono, how are you planning to reach out to students studying at UCU’s regional campuses?
The chaplaincy takes a central role in programming and setting up spiritual programs for students who are not studying at the main campus. We plan that Tuesday and Thursday community worship hours are available to all students through their deans, and/or an appointed chapel representative.

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More information about UCU’s Chaplaincy and Bishop Tucker School of Theology and Divinity at Uganda Christian University can be obtained at: http://ucu.ac.ug/bishop-tucker-school-of-theology.

To support UCU Theology students, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org, or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

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Matende Wilson with his mother on his graduation day in October 2018. (UCU Partners Photo)

UCU Partners Scholarship support for single mothers

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Matende Wilson with his mother on his graduation day in October 2018. (UCU Partners Photo)
Matende Wilson with his mother on his graduation day in October 2018. (UCU Partners Photo)

By Brendah Ndagire

One of the challenges of being a single mother – worldwide and in Uganda – is meeting the responsibility of educating children. The 2016 World Bank report shows that 26.90% of households are ‘Female Headed’ in Uganda. The reality is that Ugandans estimate the percentage of both female-headed homes and/or single-parent homes to be higher.

And the challenge is that Uganda as a nation struggles with the problem of research deficiency, largely due to the fact that majority of the population lives in rural areas, where such data, if collected, can be easily skewed.

Organizations such as the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA- Uganda) and Single Parents Association of Uganda (SPU) that work primarily on women issues, report that Ugandan women are single mothers for different reasons. Causes include death of the father to a disease or accident and/or father accusation of a crime and/or incarceration; unemployment of both parents; and willful abandonment of pregnant women.

Nabiryo Annet, mother of Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Matende Wilson Paul and four other children in Mukono, is one such single mother.  And like most other single mothers, she has struggled since she first learned the news of her pregnancy. When she had her son at age 16, his father abandoned her. She had to raise Wilson with her father.

“My father played the role of the father and grandfather at the same time,” said Annet.

When Annet got pregnant, her friends advised her to get an abortion because she could not possibly support her son on her own. But she refused. Looking now at her grown son who has a UCU Diploma in Business Administration, and all his academic accomplishments, Annet often thinks about the damage she could have done if she had aborted him.

But God has accompanied Annet through the USA-based UCU Partners nonprofit organization. Wilson Paul is a recipient of a UCU Partners’ scholarship. She remembers a time when Wilson graduated from high school. She did not know where to get the money for him to proceed to the university. When her son told her that he was receiving tuition support from a UCU Partners benefactor, she was filled with joy and gratitude. She did not know how he had managed to apply, or how he got accepted by UCU’s Financial Aid Office, but she felt that God had answered her prayers.

“I am grateful to UCU Partners’ scholarship and his sponsor specifically,” Annet said. “What stands out to me is that UCU Partners does not only give financial support, but sometimes some sponsors also give  career guidance to their students. My son would go on to be a chemistry teacher and mentor to high-school students upon the guidance of his sponsor at UCU.”

Today, Wilson’s mother is very hopeful about his future. When UCU Partners interviewed him, he had plans of going back to UCU for further studies. In January this year, he enrolled in UCU’s bachelor program in Business Administration, while serving as a Finance Assistant to the school where he is teaching chemistry.

There are more than 50 higher education institutions in Uganda, but these single mothers choose UCU because they want their sons to be rooted in Christ, and identify with UCU’s values of stewardship, community, integrity, and servant leadership.

When UCU’s financial aid office, in collaboration with UCU Partners, looks at which student to grant tuition support, they usually listen and learn the story of the student who is applying for support. Very rarely does the financial aid office get to hear the story and experiences of their parents.

Annet is not the only single mother UCU Partners has supported.

Odongokola Joshua with his mother on his graduation day in October 2018. (UCU Partners Photo)
Odongokola Joshua with his mother on his graduation day in October 2018. (UCU Partners Photo)

Stella Amonyi, is another mother the organization has supported. Her son, Odongokola Joshua El Shadai, also graduated with a Diploma in Business Administration in October 2018. He and his mother live in Kampala, but they are originally from the Northern district of Uganda, Lira.

Stella has worked as a mother to 47 orphaned and street children at Agape Christian Children Home/Center, in Nsambya, Kampala, for the last 11 years. With the sudden death of her husband, she held a job and raised their four children. Her husband died when Joshua, the youngest of the four children, was just three months old.

“My son never got a chance to meet his father. I thank God for caring for my son through UCU Partners,” said Stella.

When she learned that Joshua was receiving a scholarship from UCU Partners, she was very thankful to God.

“I have always prayed that God uses my sons and daughters for expanding His Kingdom. If it wasn’t for God, they would be nothing,” said Stella. Today, with a UCU diploma in hand, Joshua is enrolled in UCU’s bachelor program in Business and Administration. He wants to be an accountant.

Most parents in Uganda are responsible for their children’s education from kindergarten to the university. When UCU Partners supports students at UCU, they indirectly support their parents. This is why parents, such as Annet and Stella, are very grateful to UCU Partners who have empowered their sons through access to university education.

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For more of these stories and experiences, visit https://www.ugandapartners.org.  If you would like to support a current student or otherwise support the university, contact Mark Bartels, Executive Director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or go to https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

Also follow and like our Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin pages.

Mark Bartels, UCU Partners Executive Director, left, with Bwambale Bernard Mulcho with his parents at his October 2018 graduation day. (UCU Partners Photo)

A Parent Voice: UCU Partners scholarship makes difference in lives of disadvantaged students

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Mark Bartels, UCU Partners Executive Director, left, with Bwambale Bernard Mulcho with his parents at his October 2018 graduation day. (UCU Partners Photo)
Mark Bartels, UCU Partners Executive Director, left, with Bwambale Bernard Mulcho with his parents at his October 2018 graduation day. (UCU Partners Photo)

By Brendah Ndagire

Note: In October 2018, UCU Partners spoke with some parents of students who are beneficiaries of its student scholarship program. Pastor Baluku Moses is the father of Bwambale Bernard Mulcho, now a UCU alumnus of its Bachelor in Education program. Bwambale graduated with 4.3 of 5.0 grade-point-average (GPA), and at the time of his graduation he shared that he wanted to teach high school students and eventually pursue a masters program in theology. He and his parents are from Kasese District in southwestern Uganda, neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kasese district is known for its tourism. It is where Queen Elizabeth National Park is located, and it is home of the Rwenzori Mountain ranges. While popular for tourists, when to comes to learning, the region struggles to educate its children beyond high school level. Bwambale is one of the few young people who are able to make it out of the district and have access to higher learning institutions in the urban and central regions of Uganda. With the support of UCU Partners, his parents were able to send their son to Uganda Christian University. In this edited interview, Pastor Baluku provides insights into how he feels about his son’s university education.

Bwambale Bernard at Uganda Christian University. (UCU Partners Photo)
Bwambale Bernard at Uganda Christian University. (UCU Partners Photo)

How long did it take you to get to the graduation in Mukono?
From Kasese, it takes a total of nine hours with seven hours from Kasese to Kampala, and about two hours from Kampala to Mukono.

What does it mean for you to see that your son has graduated?
I have great joy because it was one way of elevating our family, community, and serving God. I am truly happy about it because I know my son has realized his dream.

How meaningful was the UCU Partners scholarship to you as a parent?
It is a great contribution towards my son’s education, and without it, we would not have made it. We have had some financial constraints in the past years. For example, we also were paying school fees for his siblings, and I also was studying at Uganda Baptist Seminary, so the whole household needed money to study, and it was hard for me to raise all the finances needed. We are thankful to God for UCU Partners’ support towards his tuition.

Why is having an education in this country important for you and your family?
It is important because when you are not educated you have a lot of challenges. And when you are educated, you understand the world differently. I believe education opens up doors for us to move anywhere in the world.

Why did you choose UCU for your son’s education?
Because of the good Christian morals it passes on its students. UCU is a more expensive education institution than others.  But regardless of that fact, people want to send their children here. Its values and quality education make the university special. It also is why we are very grateful for the UCU Partners’ scholarship program.

How have you contributed to Bwambale’s education?
I work with the Baptist Church as a pastor on volunteer basis, so I earn a small stipend. And my wife sells second-hand clothes. That is how we have earned our living, which in turn we have used to contribute in small amounts to our son’s education. It is common in Uganda for many priests/pastors to volunteer to work full without any financial remuneration. Most of us depend on farming. Our land is very productive, but the main challenge is inadequate rainfall for farmers who reside in the low land regions of Kasese. In the rainfall season, we grow maize, grounds nuts, beans, and keeping animals such as goats and cows. And that is how we are able to meet our financial responsibilities in most cases.

What challenges do young people experience in Kasese district?
The main challenge is poor and limited education access. Most children are only able to go to universal primary and secondary school. Very few can afford to go a private school or to higher learning institutions/universities.

What do you want other parents to learn from your experience?
To keep on trusting God, and not be discouraged by challenges as they support their children through university education.

Bwambale, what stood out from your UCU experience?
I have found UCU as a unique place for me to have the opportunity to access its educational services. I take great pride in the core values the institution has passed on to me, of leaderships, integrity, servanthood and Christ-centeredness. These values will continue to influence my work life and especially the way I will interact with people I encounter in future.

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For more of these stories and experiences, visit https://www.ugandapartners.org.  If you would like to support a current student or otherwise support the university, contact Mark Bartels, Executive Director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or go to https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

Also follow and like our Facebook,Instagram and Linkedin pages.

Rev. Eric Noel at St. James Cathedral in Ruharo, Mbarara Municipality. (UCUPartners Photo)

Reverend Eric Noel: Transitioning from primary teaching to priesthood

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Rev. Eric Noel at St. James Cathedral in Ruharo, Mbarara Municipality. (UCUPartners Photo)
Rev. Eric Noel at St. James Cathedral in Ruharo, Mbarara Municipality. (UCUPartners Photo)

Note: Reverend Eric Noel serves as one of the curates at St. James Cathedral in the Ruharo neighborhood of Mbarara municipality (southwestern Uganda). After graduating with a Master of Divinity in 2015 from Uganda Christian University Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, he was posted to the country’s western Ibanda district where he served for one year before he was transferred to St. James Cathedral, which has an estimated congregation of 2,000. Similar to most churches, more women attend St. James Cathedral than men.  Ages vary among four Sunday services that include a children’s service, two youth services (attracting urban youth, including neighboring university students) and a service for the elderly that is conducted in Lunyankole, the native language of Mbarara. Recently, UCU Partners spoke with Rev. Noel to learn about his priestly experience. Part of his story is shared below.

By Brendah Ndagire

How did you come to study at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology?
I started out as a primary school teacher within Uganda’s education system, and as a simple small-scale farmer. My career trajectory was very different from other theology students UCU. Many students joined UCU when they had served in the church for a long time, including as lay leaders. They came with Biblical interpretation knowledge and experience. But for me, I began with teaching and farming, with limited Bible interpretation skills. However, it is not surprising that most teachers in Uganda end up becoming church leaders, because teachers can do practically anything.

Rev. Noel at St. James Cathedral
Rev. Noel at St. James Cathedral

How did UCU prepare you for your priestly role?
UCU prepared me very well. The knowledge and experiences I was exposed to were very important for the work I am doing at St. James Cathedral. It is interesting to look back and recognize that the moment I was ordained, God opened up a door for ministry in Ibanda and now here in Ruharo.

What theology class stood out for you?
Biblical Interpretation and Church History. Everything was very new to me, and it was fascinating to learn how to interpret the Bible, and to know how the Church started and grew into a very powerful institution globally.

What scripture defines your work?
John 3:16, which states, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” At St. James Cathedral, we make it clear that it is upon people to choose life, and live, and that to not do so, they perish.

What about a scripture that defines you as a person?
I love the scripture where God says, “Let us create man in our own image…”, it has taught me to really love myself because I am the real image of God. I never used to love myself, as a dark-skinned man. But when I started to think about that particular verse in the Bible, and knowledge that I am made in the image of God, I learned to love myself.

How many other churches within the area are Anglican?
There are many Churches of different denominations, but for administrative purposes, St. James’ Cathedral as a parish has four other daughter Churches affiliated to the main parish Church, and we have nearby parishes such as Kyamugolani, All Saints Church in the center of the town, and others. There are more Churches in rural areas that are a part of St. James Cathedral as a deanery. It is called a deanery because it is a center with the seat of the Bishop.

What is it like for you to minister to the congregation in this community?
In an urban setting, it can be challenging because of time management. Since we have four services every Sunday, we feel like we are rushing the service to prepare and get to another service. Secondly, people in the urban setting are transient, and this presents a challenge when it comes to pastoral visits. Sometimes, I can go to what I believe is someone’s house, and I find that she or he moved to another neighborhood.

What do you find rewarding about your role?
I served the government for 20 years as a primary teacher and head teacher in the public education system. The money I was earning there was greater than the money I was going to make in the church setting. My desire and intention has always been to serve the Lord regardless of income. Ultimately, whatever remuneration I get, I am grateful to God.

Do you have any other economic activity apart from your spiritual role?
I am a farmer as well. However my farm is located away from Mbarara municipality, and that brings certain challenges of supervision, and monitoring. I have coffee, banana, and tree plantations. That is something I have always done while I was teaching as well since 1995. I am doing really well especially when I enjoy the fruits of my farming labor.

What is the most difficult part of being a priest in this community?
Moving from one parish to another really affects building relationships, community, children and the priest’s family life. Moving impacts children’s education performance. Sometimes moving to new parishes makes it difficult for a priest to have a “home.” This may be challenging especially when we are thinking about retiring.

What is your biggest reward serving the Lord?
As He says, those who love Me, I also love them. When we pray and commune with God we understand serving the Lord, brings peace; loving Him promises eternal life; then, I know my greatest reward is in Heaven.

Thinking about the local Church in Uganda, what do you think is the biggest challenge facing the Church in Uganda?
False teachings within different Churches. People have developed ideas on how they can squeeze money from poor people. Since our people are faced with many economic and social problems, bad people take advantage of that situation to get money from poor and underclass people. With so much unemployment among Ugandan youths, some Church leaders declare to them that, “now is the time you are going to get employed, or to go overseas on a plane.” With those false and empty promises, many young people and adults leave authentic Church spaces for prosperity Churches. Such promises have dire consequences, including suffering and human trafficking.

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More information about Bishop Tucker School of Theology and Divinity at Uganda Christian University can be obtained at: http://ucu.ac.ug/bishop-tucker-school-of-theology.

To support UCU Theology students, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.orgor donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

Also follow and like our Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin pages.

Rev. Tomson Abaho – Challenges and rewards at St. James’ Cathedral in Ankole Diocese

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Rev. Tomson Abaho at his office in St. James’ Cathedral, Ankole Diocese  (UCU Partners photo)

 Note: This story is part of a series designed to communicate the life of priests in Uganda. One such priest is the Rev. Tomson Abaho Kankuba, who has been working since 2017 as curate (assistant to the dean) at St. James Cathedral Ruharo in the western Uganda Ankole Diocese. In 2014, he graduated from Uganda Christian University (UCU) with a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained, accepting a post at All Saints Cathedral in Mbarara Municipality. The UCU Partners Clergy Scholarship Fund supports students like Rev. Tomson at Bishop Tucker School of Theology and Divinity. This interview is edited for clarification.

By Brendah Ndagire

How did you get drawn into Church ministry?
I grew up in the church and in a Christian home. My father is a retired priest. My brother and I got drawn to Church ministry because of the experiences we observed our father go through as a priest in this diocese. As a child I observed that his life as a priest was quite tough because of the environment we lived in. For example, he used to ride bicycles long distances for about 40 up to 50 kilometers (25 to 31 miles) to do pastoral visits or go to Church. This was hard a time. Today, the services have been brought closer to people. Priests these days travel shorter distances to go to church and preach the gospel to the people.

Rev. Tomson Abaho at St. James’ Cathedral, Ankole Diocese.   (UCU Partners Photo)
Rev. Tomson Abaho at St. James’ Cathedral, Ankole Diocese.   (UCU Partners Photo)

What did you do before you became a priest?
I was a primary teacher, teaching English and music. I have a bachelor’s degree in education.

Share with us about your experience working at St. James’ Cathedral in Ruharo.
I have liked being part of St. James’ Cathedral. Each one of us is gifted differently. I love teaching, counseling, preaching, and children’s ministry. And I have been given the opportunity to do what I am passionate about as a priest.

What is it like to move around ministering to people in the community?
The pastoral work here in the urban setting is interesting. Because most people are employed, to visit them, you have to make an appointment or visit them over the weekends. For old or sick people, you have to organize to meet them at their homes, to pray with them and offer them sacraments, take Holy Communion, and share and comfort them. You have to be very flexible in time for ministering.

What do you see as the most rewarding aspect of your role?
People accepting Christ. It gives me joy when I preach, counsel, and when I teach and someone fully realizes that Christ truly saves. It gives me comfort and peace in my heart. The joy it gives me when someone accepts Christ feels like that of a football player scoring a goal.

Outside of the Church’s salary, do you have another source of income?
For priests who serve within the urban setting, we do not have enough time to do anything outside of our Church work. Time is generally limited. By 7:30 in the morning, I am expected to be here at my office and leave around 6 p.m. from Monday to Sunday. It is impossible to think about having another source of income through business or farming. The other challenge is limited access to land where a priest can farm within an urban setting. We cannot do large-scale commercial farming.

What is a scripture that defines your work?
1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God.” In all I do, I love to humble myself. In we all we do, we need to be humbled whether in simple or big experiences. When you humble yourself, God lifts you higher.

What is a scripture that defines you as a person?
Psalm 139 describes how God knows me in and out. It shows that there is no single thing about me that God does not know. He knows me. And that is important for me to recognize because He knows me, He plans our work, and I am follower of Christ because He knows me. As Jeremiah says, “He formed us in our mother’s wombs, and knows every single hair on our heads.” I find that powerful.

What is the most difficult part of being a priest?
In ministry, you can’t completely know the people you are leading. It is challenging to lead people you do not truly know. For example, it is difficult to observe Christians fighting, some cheating, causing conflicts, and Church leaders who are not exemplary to their flocks. Secondly, the general lack of financial resources to run day-to-day Church activities. But amidst of all this, we are still standing and God is faithful.

How did UCU prepare you for your priestly job?
The education I attained from UCU is very important because the people we are serving and leading are highly educated. Sometimes, the “pews are higher than the pulpits.” This means that you stand from the pulpit and recognize the congregation is challenging you. The education I acquired from UCU has equipped me so well to fit in a community where we can reason together, we can share experiences and when I am interpreting the Bible, it feels good to know I am doing it with people who are also Biblically knowledgeable. The urban setting has so many people who are very educated, some are teachers, while others, students in universities. The education priests get at UCU helps them to match the knowledge of the congregants.

How was that experience for you?
Before UCU, I had the experience of serving in my local church as lay leader/chaplain and had training in chaplaincy. When I joined, it was starting afresh to learn more about theology, theory and practice. And the great aspect of being a student was learning how to engage with people in the field. The practice of theology is different from the theoretical aspect of it.

The local Church in Uganda usually faces many challenges. What do you think are challenges facing the local Church in Ankole Diocese?
Leadership in government and politics has generally influenced the leadership in our Church in some way. The Church and the government are inseparable. Most people do not recognize that but the government cannot exist without the Church, and the reverse also can be said. And we have to work together to transform our communities. But we have seen that politicians come to Church and use their money to influence the Church. That breeds corruption because many people are money oriented. It also shuts down dialogue because Church leaders are not expected to speak on political or government related issues.

The second challenge is these mushrooming Churches. There are so many “prophets, and prophetesses” forming churches in Mbarara. And people are following them without finding out where they are trained, how they are grounded in theology. Many of our congregants divert to these churches because they promise them riches.

What opportunities do you see that the local Church can seize to transform its community?
Training priests. When we train them, they will know what to do. Human resource is a good tool we can use to transform the Church, community, and nation at large. Education also is a powerful and transformative tool. Priests need to be educated and grounded in good theology so that they can teach, preach, and interpret the Bible. From there, people will be able to convert and know what to believe, and our society will change, and we will have a strong Church in Ankole diocese.

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More information about Bishop Tucker School of Theology and Divinity at Uganda Christian University can be obtained at: http://ucu.ac.ug/bishop-tucker-school-of-theology. To support UCU and her sister Universities’ clergies, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

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Matende Wilson (UCU Partners Photo)

UCU Partners business program scholarship recipients

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(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners’ Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients. For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org  or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)

 

Matende Wilson (UCU Partners Photo)
Matende Wilson (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Matende Wilson Paul

Program: Diploma in Business Administration (graduated)

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has given me a chance and opportunity to learn, and participate in forums such as, leadership and para-counselling forums which I enjoy.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
Among the many options I am exploring, I want to become an accountant. My program focuses mostly on accounting and I want to become that. I used to have a bias in mathematics in high school but when I joined the university, I chose to focus my career in accountant and be a tremendous accountant internationally. Depending on whether I receive funding for further studies, I would want to do a certified public accounting so that i can be a professional accountant.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
Thank you for the work you have done in helping me attain education.

 

Odogola Joshua Eli (UCU Partners Photo)
Odogola Joshua Eli (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Odogola Joshua Elishadai

Program: Diploma in Business Administration (graduated)

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
I wouldn’t have accessed this higher education without the blessings of this scholarship. God through this scholarship has been the centre of my studies here.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to be a lecturer and a job creator. I think unemployment is one of the biggest hindrances to accessing education in Uganda. When parents lost their jobs, things become worse in our lives, and I give thanks for my scholarship to attain higher education at Uganda Christian University. Now that I have finished studying business administration, I want want to be a job creator and employ especially single mothers in my community to be able to earn income to educate their children. To God be the Glory!

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
Your support and donation through Uganda Partners is like resurrection of the dead to life! Thank you so very much, God used to restore my hope. I never thought I would join a university. May God bless you!

Kalule Toney (UCU Partners Photo)

UCU Partners social work, art program scholarship recipients

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(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners’ Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients. For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org  or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)

Kalule Toney (UCU Partners Photo)
Kalule Toney (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Kalule Toney

Program: Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has exposed me to the world here. It has helped me to acquire knowledge, made friends and have been able to redefine myself.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to be an advocate and an activist for girl education, employment opportunities and human rights. I want to get a platform for sensitizing fellow youths about the value of education. I hope someday to start an organization for training vulnerable groups of people in my community.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
Thank you so much!

 

Bwambale Bernand (UCU Partners Photo)
Bwambale Bernand (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Bwambale Bernard Molcho

Program: Bachelor of Arts with Education (graduated)

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has helped me to focus on my studies and I am proud to graduate with a great GPA! The scholarship helped to restore hope of completing my degree. If I had got this opportunity earlier, I would have got a first class degree.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to become an artist, to make art pieces to fundraise for the well-being of other unprivileged people particularly in acquiring skills through formal education. I want to be an art teacher and inspire young people in high school to view a bright future beyond the life of lack of enough resources.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
Thank you even though I think it is not enough other than praying for blessings to them, their family, and their work.

Gaborya Charles (UCU Partners Photo)

UCU Partners communications, journalism program scholarship recipients

Scholarship, , , ,


(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners’ Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients. For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org  or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)

Gaborya Charles (UCU Partners Photo)
Gaborya Charles (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Gaborya Charles

Program: Master of Journalism and Media Studies

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has been a great and fundamental push towards my study and without It I do not think I would have been able to take up a master’s degree.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to have a deeper understanding of development, communication and gender. And I want to use the degree in the field of development, specifically gender-based development.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
I want them her/him to know that I am very appreciative of her/his support.

 

Odongkara Emmanuel (UCU Partners Photo)
Odongkara Emmanuel (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Odongkara Emmanuel

Program: Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has created a good environment for me to learn, and share ideas with other fellow students, and lectures It has transformed the way I think.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to become an investigative journalist and a writer. I have a passion for writing and serving others. I am influenced by great writers such as Ben Carson who inspires and leaves you challenged.

What do you want to say to your sponsor
Thank you for your support, and thank you for believing in UCU!

 

Byron Otto (UCU Partners Photo)
Byron Otto (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Byron Otto Andrew

Program: Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has helped me in every way of my life and my education’s journey in general.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to be the best in journalism, reporting specifically on children’s and women’s issues affecting their humanity. I also want to be what God wants be to be in His Kingdom. I had a hard childhood that makes me cry often times. From surviving death, life on the streets, to living without parents, my life has been a very challenging journey to where I am at the university. I have learned to respect humanity,God, and appreciation to what is happening in the humanitarian sector, and I want to use my communication degree to report on what is happening in the humanitarian community. That is why I am studying journalism at UCU. I remember when I was a child I wanted to be President of Uganda. Now, and if God allows it, I want to represent the children on streets and tell my testimony.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
Thank you and may God Bless you! You are my parents now and would love to meet you someday!

Kucel Newton (UCU Partners Photo)

UCU Partners agricultural science, engineering program scholarship recipients

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(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners’ Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients. For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org  or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)

Byakatonda Gerald (UCU Partners Photo)
Byakatonda Gerald (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Byakatonda Gerald

Program:
Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has provided funds for my tuition, accommodation and other fees at the university.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to do many things. First,I want to be a crop scientist. I have worked with farmers and found out that they have challenges such as crop diseases, poor yields, among others. Becoming a crop scientist will give me the opportunity to offer solutions to such problems. Secondly, I want to start FARMHELP-AFRICA, an organization that would seek partnership with farmers and other stakeholders.I will also become a professional farmer of coffee and oil palm in Uganda. Lastly, I want to be agricultural-entrepreneur and christian-principled leader for young people who lack a professional example to direct them into farming business.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
I want to thank them for their genuine support towards my academic journey.

 

Kucel Newton (UCU Partners Photo)
Kucel Newton (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Kucel Newton

Program: Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has been of great help to me since I am always guaranteed to do my examinations.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to become a professional farmer with a holistic background in caring for consumers of what I will produce.  I see the rising population in Uganda and the World at large; hence, there is a need to improve food supply for this rising population. I have also seen farmers selling products contaminated with chemicals not minding about the consumers and with this; I am looking at producing good and safe food for my consumers.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
May God bless her in everything.

 

Mutesasira Ivan (UCU Partners Photo)
Mutesasira Ivan (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Mutesasira Ivan

Program: Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
I have attained knowledge and skills in the engineering field, and how to appreciate and live with others.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to become a good engineer who will work with people in society. I also want to help other people/children who have problems with studying when I become a practising engineer. Further in the future, I want to be a professor of Civil Engineering.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
I appreciate the support, love, and efforts they have put in to see that I become an important and great engineer who will benefit the society I live in. May God bless her!

UCU Partners procurement program scholarship recipients

Scholarship, , , ,


(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients.  For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)

Ochora Walter (UCU Partners Photo)
Ochora Walter (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Ochora Walter

Program: Diploma in Procurement and Logistic Management

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has helped me to study at a Christian University and getting knowledge which I can apply after my studies.It has also helped me to meet different people not only in Uganda but other parts of the world.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to help other needy people in our society by offering and giving back to them what God has done for me. Of course, I want to acquire a job to do after my studies. I also am looking forward to continuing with education if God wants me to continue; I will be appreciative of that as well.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
I appreciate them for what they have done in my life and other children/students to be part of UCU. 

Nakungu Patricia (UCU Partners Photo)
Nakungu Patricia (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Nakungu Patricia

Program: Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
I am able to concentrate on my studies because I don’t have to worry about incomplete tuition.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to become a very successful business woman that’s what I have always wanted. And I want to put my degree to use by becoming a procurement officer with a difference.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
I want to thank them so much for the opportunity they have given me to be part of a great institution and attain a quality education.

 

Oweta Paul (UCU Partners Photo)
Oweta Paul (UCU Partners Photo)

Name: Oweta Paul

Program: Diploma in Procurement and Logistics Management

How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study?
It has brought a bright future which seemed darker a few years ago. The scholarship has brought hope in my life.

How would do you want to use your degree and why?
I want to work as a procurement officer in the military. I am inspired by my uncle who studied a similar program, and when he graduated he joined the military and went on to live his other dream of opening a powerful church and charity home which helps needy children in his community.

What do you want to say to your sponsor?
Thank you maximumly!